Jointing clip for electric battery terminals and the like



1947- D. J. VILJOEN ,431,215

JOINTING CLIP FOR ELECTRIC BATTERY TERMINALS AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 8, 1945 INVENTOR Ballade]: I/zzpm BY 55mm I ATTO EY Patented Nov. 18, 1.947

JOINT-ING CLIP FOR, ELECTRIC BATTERY TERMINALS AND THELIKE Daniel Johannes Viljoen, Brakpan, Transvaal Province, Union of South Africa- Application November 8, 1945, Serial No. 627,372 In, theUnion of South Africa August, 9, 194,5.

This invention relates to improvements in clips for connecting electric cables to battery terminals or for making other such like electrical connections.

The object of the invention is to provide a clip of the nature specified which, by means of; a rocker-like part, is-adapted to grip, with one end of the rocker cooperating With the body of" the clip, the terminal onwhich the clipis placed whenever the second end. of, the rocker is positively moved as by a threaded screw. A further object is to provide for the means operating the rocker to act also as a jack for lifting the clip from the terminal.

A preferred form of the invention isillus'trated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig, I is a perspective View of the clip in place on the terminal.

Fig. 11 is a section of theclipshown in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a similar view of Fig. II but with the clip in its released position.

As shown the clip consists of a sleeve i in plan roughly in the shape of a U. The curved bottom 2 of the U fits and partly embraces the terminal 3. The two arms t of the U are brought together somewhat whilst being kept parallel and are bridged by a piece 5. The bridge 5 forms a stop or fulcrum for a rocker-like part 6 placed in the space 1 between the bridge 5 and the terminal 3 on which the clip is to be clamped. The lower.

end of the rocker 6 is preferably formed with a foot 8 turned upwardly and with a curved sole 9 to make good contact with the terminal 3. The other end ii] of the rocker 6 extends over the top of the terminal 3. Over this again a part I I of the clip proper extends as a yoke, carrying a threaded screw l2 with its axis substantially vertical but preferably with its lower end inclined slightly away from the foot 8 of the rocker 6, through a slot or clearance hole in the rocker end It, to contact the top of the terminal 3. The part I I carrying the screw may take the form of a yoke piece attached at each end to the sides of the clip. The screw between the top of the terminal 3 and the rocker end I carries a collar [4 or nut to retain the end It] of the rocker 6 loosely thereon.

In operation, with the parts of the clip assembled as described and placed over the terminal 3, the screw l2, which conveniently is made with a left hand thread, is turned so that the collar M below the rocker end I0 is raised, lifting the latter. As the rocker 6 rolls on the bridge 5 blocking the arms 4 of the U of the clip, the lower end of the rocker 6 has its foot 8 forced against the 5 Claims. (01. 173'-2'59) side of the terminal 3 and consequently the clip is clamped in place. Reversal of the turningof the screwl Z-removes the pressure of the foot Set the rocker end; against the-side of the terminal 3 and at the same time the screw l2makes contact with the top of the terminal 3 to jack theclip off the same and by this method ofrelease damage to the battery 1-6 is avoided.

The ends 4- of the; U-shapedclip may be extended beyond the above described bridging piece 5 to provide acontact forthe endof the electric conductor between which ends 4 the conductor may be clamped by means of;a bolt l5 ortowhioh it-rriay be soldered; or-otherwisesecured.

The clip- 1' should preferably be formed from a metal such as copper or copper alloy which is a good conductor of electric current and at the sametimeresists corrosiont This invention provides a clip which operates by the turning: of a screw, which operation can be done by hand. It is easily clamped to and disconnected from, for instance, a terminal of an electric battery 16. Even if corrosion has taken place the clip is automatically jacked off the terminal in the manner described and when required thus avoiding injury to the terminal or to the battery of which the former forms an essential part. In other words the clip not only has all the mechanical elements, by the manipulation of which the clamping is efiected and proper electrical connection made, but by reversing the contact-making operation the clip is made to release itself and push itself off the terminal.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a clip for connecting an electric conductor to a battery terminal, a loop of metal adapted partially to encircle the terminal, a bridge piece attached to the sides of the loop to bridge the top of the terminal, a screw threaded through said bridge piece to project towards the top of said terminal, a fixed stop between the ends of the loop providing a space between the stop and the terminal encircling portion of said loop, and a rocking lever One end of which passes below the bridge piece, and is provided with a threaded opening for engagement with said screw, the other end of said lever having a rocker shaped as an L-shaped extension projecting approximately at right angles to the lever proper and adapted to bridge the space between the stop and the terminal when the end of the lever is raised by the screw.

2. In a clip for connecting an electrical conductor to a battery terminal, a loop of metal adapted partially to encircle the terminal, a

bridge piece attached to the sides of the loop to bridge the top of the terminal, a screw threaded through said bridge piece to project towards the top of said terminal, a fixed stop between the ends of the loop providing a space between the stop and the terminal encircling portion of said loop, and a rocking lever with one end of which passes below the bridge piece, and is provided with a threaded opening for engagement with said screw, the other end of said lever having a rocker shaped as an L-shaped extension projecting approximately at right angles to the lever proper, said L-shaped extension being of insuiiicient length to bridge the space between the stop and the terminal encircling portion of said loop when the end of the lever is lowered by the screw.

3. In a clip for connecting an electric condoctor to a battery terminal, a loop of metal adapted partially to encircle the terminal, a bridge piece attached to the sides of the loop to bridge the top of the terminal, a screw threaded through said bridge piece to project towards the top of said terminal, afixed stop between the ends of the loop providing a space between the stop and the terminal encircling portion of said loop, and a rocking lever, one end of which passes below the bridge piece, and is provided with a threaded opening for engagement with said screw, the other end of said lever having a rocker shaped as an L-shaped extension projecting approximately at right angles to the lever proper and said screw extending between the bridge piece and the top of the terminal encircling portion of said loop to raise and lift the clip from the terminal.

4. In a clip for connecting an electric conductor to a battery terminal, a loop of metal adapted partially to encircle the terminal, a bridge piece 4 attached to the sides of the loop at an ang to the normal to bridge the top of the terminal, a screw threaded through said bridge piece to project towards the top of said terminal, a fixed stop between the ends of the loop providing a space between the stop and the terminal encircling portion of said loop, and a rocking lever, one end of which passes below the bridge piece, and is provided with a threaded opening for engagement with said screw, the other end of said lever having a rocker shaped as an L-shaped extension projecting approximately at right angles to the lever proper.

5. In a clip for connecting an electric conductor to a battery terminal, a loop of metal adapted partially to encircle the terminal, a bridge piece attached to the sides of the loop to bridge the top of the terminal. a screw threaded through said bridge piece to project towards the top of said terminal, and carrying a collar on its end above the terminal, a fixed stop between the ends of the loop providing a space between the stop and the terminal encircling portion of said loop, and a rocking lever one end of which passes below the bridge piece, and is provided with a threaded opening for engagement with said screw, the other end of said lever having a rocker shaped as an L-shaped extension projecting approximately at right angles to the lever proper.

DANIEL JOI-IANNES VILJOEN.

REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Dec. 15. 1932 Number 

